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Even the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) All-Star Festivities cannot escape the vile clutches of controversy.
This, after three players who will be participating in the upcoming semifinal round got suspended for not showing up for the Slam Dunk Competition yesterday at the Cebu Coliseum.
The University of the Visayas? (UV) Junjun Lasala, University of San Jose-Recoletos? (USJ-R) Abulaiz Suliman and the Cebu Institute of Technology?s (CIT) Chester Curso were slapped with five game suspensions for not competing in the said competition.
Relaible sources, who asked not to be named, said the three allegedly refused to compete since they thought reigning champion Elwin Durano of the University of Southern Philippines (USPF) was a sure winner in the competition because of his incredible talent in the slam dunk competition.
Only Durano showed up on court and showed off some acrobatic dunks to the delight of the crowd..
Lasala and Curso, on the other hand, refused to go on to the court and stayed in the locker room to prepare for their stint in the seniors division All-Star game.
Lasala was even egged on by his head coach, Elmer ?Boy? Cabahug to show up but the former did not budge.
As a result, they were not allowed to participate in the All Star game by Cesafi commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy, who took them off the court during the warm-ups.
Tiukinhoy later announced that they, along with Suliman, will be suspended for five consecutive matches.
The decision dampens the semifinal bids of UV and USJ-R, for whom Lasala and Suliman are vital cogs. Curso will serve his suspension next season since CIT is already out of the competition.
The suspensions continue to hound the Cesafi late in the season. The count of suspended players now stand at six after the earlier punishments of the University of San Carlos ? (USC) Paul Joven and Southwestern University ?s (SWU) Jeff Pria and Rene Pacquiao.
Tiukinhoy called the acts ?disrespectful not just to the organizers but more so to the fans, who paid good money to witness the much-anticipated event.?
PBA legend Ramon ?El Presidente? Fernandez also admonished the developments as he added, ?Bata pa gani ning mga bataa, tag-as na ug sungay. Sa among panahon, kami pa man gain ug mangita ug asa mi makaduwa.?
Meanwhile, the Three-Point Shootout was ruled by University of Cebu sniper Kim Gomez, who bested USC?s Mike Cantonao in the final round.
Gomez burned the nets with a total of 19 points while Cantonao wound up with 15 points.
The juniors division All-Star game was won by the West team, 100-95.
UC stars Gerald Ampoon had 21 points to lead the charge while his teammate Jerei Pingoy, Alfred Codilla and Sacred Heart?s Jerry Seno each had 11 markers.
